As a photographer, one might expect things like or equipment as being the important pillars of success, but in reality, the #1 skill that all photographers need is a thorough understanding of composition

From the Merriam-Webster dictionary, composition is defined as:

a: the act or process of composing; specifically: arrangement into specific proportion or relation and especially into artistic form.

To put it into simpler terms, however, composition is the different parts of a picture that make it up. Composition is the final product and is made up of many different elements. Some of those elements include:

1. Subject

The subject of a photograph is what the photograph is. While this may seem obvious, too many times pictures don’t have a clearly defined subject. While the picture may be composed in an aesthetically pleasing way, without a subject it will feel empty.

2. Viewpoint and Camera Angle

The viewpoint and angle of a camera can be very important in distinguishing your own personal style, and also at conveying messages in photos. Most people tend to just take horizontally level photos from eye level, but in reality, people always see the world from eye level, so moving slightly above, or slightly below can have a huge impact on a photo.

3. Balance

Balance is the analysis of perceived weights of objects in the composition. The compositional weight of an object is not always equal to its actual weight. For example, a dark grey feather that takes up half the frame has much more weight than a white house that is a small speck in the distance. Balance is understanding and splitting the compositional weights of the objects in a photograph.

4. Shapes and Lines

Shapes and lines can be seen in everyday life, but in photography, they can be used to create more stylistic messages that are easier for viewers to analyze. Different types of shapes can convey different emotions, and different angles and numbers of lines can convey anything from fast-paced movement to the slow winding of a river.

5. Lighting

Lighting is one of the most intuitive aspects of composition, and it can be overt or subversive. Light has a tendency to highlight aspects of a photograph and direct the attention of the user. It can be used to direct the viewers' attention throughout a composition.

This list is only a few of all compositional elements that are available to photographers. Each of these elements are easy to understand on their own but combining them is a challenge all on its own.Photography, and digital photography specifically, is very satisfying as a creative art, because it provides the user with endless possibilities.Even with endless possibilities, good composition rarely appears by chance.Instead it can be created through careful planning and preparation.This is why it is important to understand each element individually; once you do, you will be able to make decisions about how to combine your subject with the elements of composition to create photographs, instead of taking pictures.

Understanding composition may seem like an unimportant skill for non-photographers, but with the constant barrage of visual arts and media in our society, being able to understand visual composition can be as rewarding of a skill as reading.Only instead of reading English, you will be reading the language of art.